February 20, 2014

Action Forum intensifies agitation for Lakhipur sub–division

SILCHAR, February 19: In order to further increase the crescendo for a full–fledged Lakhipur sub–division, Greater Lakhipur Action Forum (GLAF) has intensified its agitation. Hundreds of people from all walks of life of the area joined a rally and went round the town with posters and banners, highlighting the various aspects of their demand today and submitted a memorandum to the Sub Divisional Officer (Civil) Nabarun Bhattacharjee. Before submitting the memorandum, they staged dharna for three hours. Thereafter, the rally converged at the central market of the town and burnt the effigies of Dinesh Prasad Goala, MLA and former minister, and Kalyan Dey, chairman of municipal board, in protest against their indifferent attitude and stand on the mass demand for a sub–division. The Forum is planning to move the Chief Minister on the issue and seek his intervention through a memorandum to be sent to him on the issue on Thursday.
Though 22 years have passed by since the Chief Minister of the time Hiteshwar Saikia declared to upgrade Lakhipur into a full–fledged sub–division, no serious and concrete steps have been taken to build up the infrastructure. Rather, deliberate delays are being caused for the establishment of the necessary components of a sub–division. Construction of related offices, court, treasury, jail, civil hospital and other essential wings is caught in logjam. Their representative elected from Lakhipur consecutively for the last seven terms, Dinesh Prasad Goala has also been a Cabinet Minister. The mass meeting or the citizens convention a few days ago as well as the rally of today squarely sent out the message for all the mess and obstruction, blaming Dinesh Prasad Goala.
It has been described as a conspiracy by Goala who ignoring the people’s demand, their sentiments and feelings has been rather involved in shifting the locations of the administrative offices and other necessary wings at Pailapool GP areas which happens to be his native place. Already, offices of mahukuma parishad, PHE, administrative unit, block elementary office have been set up in the area of the MLA. In near future, other offices such as treasury, court, hospital, civil and security blocks will also be taken out of the Lakhipur municipality areas. The citizens convention held recently and participated by people of all caste and creed strongly condemned such subtle move of their representative to the Assembly. Voice in the rally rent the air with the mass demand for immediate implementation of the full–fledged sub–division and the construction of all the related offices should be at Lakhipur.
From the rally also came the demand that besides improvement and construction of roads and bridges under various schemes, implementation of urban water supply scheme, storm water drainage scheme, inter–State shipping operation in Barak river with Lakhipur as a port. Most important, in view of public complaints about the utilization of development funds sanctioned from time to time for the implementation of schemes and projects by the Central Government, demand has been raised to make available necessary information in this regard through the official website. Prashanta Kumar Deb, president, and Rajdeep Roy, general secretary of Greater Lakhipur Action Forum, have said that their agitation will continue till the demands are met. (Source: SentinelAssam)